KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — The army officers accused of colluding with smugglers by sharing intelligence are now confined to their respective administrative headquarters, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari told the Lower House of Parliament this morning.
The officers were among 10 individuals arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s Intelligence and Anti-Corruption Tactical Squad (ACTS) on August 13, as part of Operation Sohor targeting a smuggling syndicate.
The Armed Forces had launched their own internal probe alongside separate investigations by the MACC and the police.
Adly indicated that the investigation is still ongoing, two months after the arrests.
He told Parliament that the five officers implicated have been barred from operational duties.
“The Armed Forces are giving full cooperation so the case can be handled with utmost transparency,” Adly said in response to a question from Ketereh MP Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor, a retired major general and former intelligence officer.
“Second, the officers involved have been placed at their respective administrative offices. They are excluded from any operational duties.”
The case had sparked widespread outrage and fuelled concerns about the integrity of Armed Forces officers entrusted with sensitive information about security matters.
The implicated officers are suspected of colluding with the syndicate by leaking operational information to help them evade enforcement.
The smuggled goods allegedly brought into the country include drugs, cigarettes and other items from neighbouring countries, with an estimated value of about RM5 million a month.
The raids followed about 12 months of intelligence gathering, and the suspects are believed to have received between RM30,000 and RM50,000 in bribes for each smuggling trip conducted.
The network involving the officers is believed to be large and complex.
